Container



Oct. 15, 1940. F. w. NlTARDY CONTAINER Filed Oct.' 5, 1939 42% INVENTORATTORNEY Patented Oct. 15, 1940 PAT ENT OFFICE.

CONTAINER Frcdinand W. Nitardy, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to E. R.Squibb & Sons, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationOctober 6, 1939, Serial No. 298,195

3 Claims.

This invention relates to multicameral contalners of thecollapsible-tube type.

Numerous containers have heretofore been devised for the unitarypackaging of mutually-re- 5 active or other different products out ofcontact with each other, and for the dispensing thereof i2. intermixedcondition. The most common type comprises a collapsible tube Within andspaced from another collapsible tube and forming there- H) with abicameral container, the chambers having a common outlet, or proximateoutlets, closed by a single cap. These prior containers, however,

have been characterized by their inability to maintain the severalproducts separate at the outlets, once the cap has been removed and partof the contents dispensed, because the common or proximate outlets thenpermit mutual contact and reaction between the different products-adifliculty that does not arise with multicameral m containers forsingle-dose dispensing, the entire contents of the tube being dischargedin a single application-wherefore multioameral containers of thecollapsible-tube type have not heretofore been extensively used formultiple-dose dispens- 25 ing.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved multicameralcontainer of the collapsible-tube type especially adapted formultipledose dispensing.

.m Essentially, the container of this invention comprises a collapsibletube having an open neck, another open-necked collapsible tube withinand spaced from the first tube, to provide a (preferably annular)chamber between the tubes and a (preferably annular) outlet thereforbetween the necks, the neck of the inner tube extending substantiallybeyond the neck of the outer tube, and a cap adapted simultaneously andseparately to seal the inter-tube (annular) outlet and the opening ofthe inner-tube neck. Preferably, the cap interior is shaped to receivesnugly the neck extension, thus further minimizing contact between thedifferent products in the package; and preferably also the cap isprovided with sealing gaskets spaced apart in planes corresponding tothose of the annular outlet and the opening of the inner-tube neck.

The operation and advantages of the improved container of this inventionwill be apparent from 50 the following detailed description of anembodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a package utilizing the improved containerof this invention;

55 Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container shown in Fig. 1, enlarged andwith the cap removed for clearer presentation; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary axial section (on line 3-3 of Fig. 2) with thecap in sealing position.

Referring to Fig. 3, indicates a collapsible 5 soft-metal tube of aconventional shape, having a shoulder 6 and an externally-threadedrelatively wide-mouthed open neck I. A smaller collapsible soft-metaltube 8 is situated concentrically within tube 5, its shoulder 9 and openneck It) 10 being spaced from the corresponding parts. of the outertube. Neck I0 is elongated, and preferably tapered, extendingsubstantially (e. g., A; to inch) beyond the neck of the outer tube.

The spacing of the tubes provides an annular chamber ll, having anannular outlet between neck 1 and neck l0; and the inner chamber 2| hasits outlet at the tip of elongated open neck Ill. The tubes may bemaintained in this relative position by any conventional means,preferably by means of a number of lugs l2, l3, and M (Fig.

2) integral with the inner tube. As shown in Fig. 3, lug l2 (with whichlugs l3 and H are identical) is so shaped as to seat on the inside ofshoulder 6 and neck I of the outer tube, thus stabilizing the spacing ofthe tubes.

The bicameral container thus formed is provided with a cap l5 (Fig. 3),Preferably molded of a synthetic plastic, which simultaneously andseparately seals the outlets of the respective 3o chambers. An axialcross sectionof the interior 7 of the cap corresponds generally to theaxial cross section presented by the outer-tube neck and inner-tube neckextension; thus, cavity It has an internal threading corresponding withthe 5 threading on neck! (the cap being screwed on in the usual manner),and the smaller-diameter cavity extending from cavity I6 is shaped toreceive (preferably snugly) the extension of the inner-tube neck. Aresilient annular gasket ll 40 iscarried (e. g., fnctionally held) atthe base of cavity 16, andanother resilient gasket l8 at the base of thenarrow cavity. By virtue of this arrangement, the gaskets separately andsimultaneously seal the outlets of the respective chambers when thescrew cap is applied; and the snug fit of the smaller cavity of the capon the innertube neck extension assists in preventing contact betweenthe products in the respective chambers.

The container of this invention is assembled and filled in theconventional manner; i. e., the tubes are assembled, capped, held(inverted) in the usual filling position, the chambers filled with thedesired products through the open ends, and

the tubes ends sealed in the usual manner (separately or together, byinterioldlng and crimping, welding, or the like). I! desired, a plug ofan expressible solid material, such as petrolatum, may be placed in thebore of either or bothtubes between the product and the outlet, asdescribed and claimed in my copending application 'Serial No. 235,968,filed October 20, 1938.

To dispense the container contents, the cap is unscrewed, and thedesired quantity extruded by pressure on the outer tube, theseveralhithertoseparated products being intermixed at the opening of theinner-tube neck; or the screw cap may be replaced with a vaginalapplicator of conventional design (attached, for-example, by means ofthe threading on neck I),- and the products are expressed into theapplicator and dispensed from it in intermixed condition. The'cap isthen restored-preferably aiter wiping or otherwise cleaning theinner-tube neck extension-and the products are thus maintained out ofcontact with each other until the next dose is required.

The invention may be variously otherwise embodied within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Lclaim: V

1. A multicameral container of the collapsibletube type adapted formultiple-dose dispensing, comprising a collapsible tube having an openneck, another open-necked collapsible tube within and, spaced from thefirst tube to provide an annular chamber between the tubes and anannular outlet therefor between the necks, the neck of the inner tubeextending substantially beyond the neck of the outer tube, and a capadapted simultaneously and separately to seal the annular outlet and theopening of the inner-tube neck, the cap interior being shaped to receivesnugly the neck extension.

2. A multicameral container of the collapsibletube type adapted formultiple-dose dispensing, comprising a collapsible tube having openneck, another open-necked collapsible tube within and spaced from thefirst tube to provide an annular chamber between the tubes and anannular outlet therefor between the necks, the neck of the inner tubeextending substantially beyond the neck of the outer tube, and a capprovided with sealing gaskets spaced apart in planes corresponding tothose of the annular outlet and the opening of the inner-tube neck.

3. A multicameral container of the collapsibletube type adapted formultiple-dose dispensing. comprising a collapsible tube having an openneck, another open-necked collapsible tube within and spaced from thefirst tube to provide an annular chamber between the tubes and anannular outlet therefor between the necks, the neck .of the inner tubeextending substantially berior being shaped to receive snugly the neckex- 30 tension.

W. NITARDY.

